


The Dragon Prince Whose Heart Is Hearth

by AKnightOfAGoodKing



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Genderfluid Character, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Magic, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28358634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing
Summary: Born an abomination, Jack never truly felt that he belonged. That was until a star fell from the heavens.[DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PERMISSION]
Relationships: Fudou Yuusei & Crow Hogan, Jack Atlas & Crow Hogan, Jack Atlas & Fudou Yuusei, Jack Atlas & Fudou Yuusei & Crow Hogan, Jack Atlas/Fudou Yuusei/Crow Hogan
Kudos: 3





	The Dragon Prince Whose Heart Is Hearth

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic inspired by [my Eastern Asian myth AU](https://the-kings-of-games.tumblr.com/post/630042537233645568/the-inhabitants-of-the-mountain-valley-of-ne%22). ^^ It's a lot longer than I expected, and I'm still bad at ending, lol, which wasn't expect. 
> 
> I only tagged the characters who spoke more than one line, but there are either characters references too! 
> 
> I took some creative liberties, so the deprivations of the mythology creatures referenced aren't completely accurate and true.

Jack was the youngest dragon child from the royal palace, and like those before him, he was born in the great lake of Neo Domino Valley, a hidden land where immortals and all sacred beings lived in peace. It was shrouded by a great cloud, which created the illusion of a mountain that pierced the heavens, and in its great lake, one could find the bowels of the earth. There the princes and princesses of the dragon king nested their eggs, and Jack was no different, taken there by his uncle, Roman, the day he was born. Jack's father, Rex, couldn't make the initial trip, but he came soon after when he fully recovered. 

For weeks, the two brothers waited for the little egg, white and coarse, to hatch, the furnace of the earth keeping it warm and feeding it. However, something unexpected happened; it was not enough for the sacred earth to nurse the egg but to gift it with a power only seen once before. They made his heart into a hearth, and so his soul _burned_ , unheard of in a creature of the sea.

So, when Jack was finally born, the shell of his egg burned away, leaving nothing of it behind, and he was a beautiful child with golden hair, scales like pearls, and amethyst eyes. On his head, he had dragon antlers as white as coral. Oh, he would've been the envy of the Dragon Palace, and he should've been. Unfortunately, with his gift, Rex and Roman knew they could not bring him back with them, so they clothed the dragon prince in white sea silk robes and told him that Neo Domino was now his home. 

"I wish I could take you with us, Jack," Rex said, embracing his son, "but I'd rather not have you persecuted as an abomination. The king will see this as a challenge to his throne, paranoid bastard. Roman and I will say that you died, that the fires left cracks and burnt you inside out. Goodbye, son, we will come back to visit."

Since then, the great lake of Neo Domino was Jack's home, and even before his birth, everyone of the waters knew him, the water spirits, the naiads, and fairies who bathed there. Kind as they were, the women took care of him, in particular an old earth spirit who went by the name Martha. 

"Martha, I'm bored," Jack said, pulling on the woman's dress robes. 

"You have plenty of friends, dear," she replied with a chuckle. "The girls around here love you."

"Yes, but they're all already friends. I want one of my own."

"Well, you're just gonna have to find one yourself then. Why don't you step out of the lake, Jack, and go exploring? The valley is safe, and there's no danger."

The dragon prince thinned his lips, and shook his head. Neo Domino was where he was born, but he had yet to consider all of it his home. So the old woman pat him behind the antlers and gave him a kiss on the forehead. 

"Perhaps I'll take you around soon," she said with a gentle smile. "I'll take you to meet the Ancient Fairy Dragon. Good night, my boy."

And for many days, it went just like this for Jack who kept staring from the great lake but never having the courage to step out. The valley was lush from where he stood, and the air was clear as crystal. With his eyes, he could see everything near and far. He knew where you could find the pillar mountains that stood side-by-side like natural monuments, and which waterfalls best reflected the moon. He had found the most beautiful patch of wisteria trees, and the most beautiful patch of sakura and ginkgo. In his mind, he had explored all of Neo Domino, and that seemed enough. 

Then, one night, when Jack was staying up again to stare at the stars, there was a bright shine of light in the black sky, as if the sun had accidentally showed up. It nearly blinded the prince, but he saw it, saw it the moment it fell past the domain of the heavens. It flashed like a warning, like an omen, like a miracle, and it was a sight to behold: a shooting star, and it was falling, falling into the valley. Jack didn't see it hit, but he heard the impact. 

It landed at a mountain base where the dandelions grew most abundant. From where he sat, he could see the hole that it made, and it had an ethereal white and blue glow, fading away into the rock. It scurried like a tiny creature and disappeared into the night. 

Jack didn't understand what that was, but he felt something change in the valley, something good. The water that gave him nutrients was thicker with life, and before his very eyes, he saw all of Neo Domino grow lusher and more vibrant with color and smell. The trees grew taller, their leaves doubling and their fruits gone ripe in seconds. He saw one fall and another take its place, the seed of the fallen one taking root and sprouted. And all the flowers bloomed, buds turning mature in seconds and petals unfurling like the first day of spring.

The change filled every one of Jack's senses, almost overwhelming if he hadn't been sitting down already. For the first time, he wanted to go and explore. 

But he didn't, still where he sat and staring carefully at the hole in the dark. 

The next morning, the whole valley woke up in buzzing excitement and celebration. "We have been blessed with a god!" one of the naiads shouted, caressing her soft and supple face. It was a shock to wake up that morning to see how everyone was younger and more beautiful than the night before, and the women loved it. 

"What do you mean by that?" Jack asked them, tilting his head. He had heard about gods, but he had never met one before. He didn't know they just fell from the sky.

"You don't know about the gods, Jack?" Misty, the futokku tennyo, asked, holding the sleeve of her feathered kimono to her mouth. "They are interesting beings, some of the most powerful, and though they are not exactly rare, we revere them for they were created by the cosmos. This particular one was created by the Sun and the Moon, and I was in the heavens when he fell. Nobody knows what he looks like, or where he landed, but it seems that he has made himself the god of this valley. If he is kept happy and prosperous, then so shall all of Neo Domino. Look at you, Jack, you've gotten a little taller, and your scales are polished." 

The prince looked down and saw his reflection. She was right; he felt taller, and his scales which were like pearls were gleaming like in the sunlight. He touched his face where they grew, and they were hard as diamonds despite his age.

"I know where the god landed," Jack said, looking back up. 

The women looked at him with wide eyes, ready to ask, but Misty shook her head, halting their questions. "It's best not to disturb our new god," she advised, "that is if you can even find him. Gods are powerful things, and fickle."

That left Jack wondering, and when he brought it up to Martha later, the woman replied with a laugh, a new youth brought to her face as well. "Perhaps this is the friend you've been looking for," she said, "but you best listen to Misty. You don't want to incur a god's wrath, do you? Their mood can change as quickly as the weather. Maybe we will see them soon, when they emerge from where they are hiding."

That didn't sate Jack's curiosity at all. He was really good at being patient as he had to be for his father and uncle to come to visit, but Martha called the god the friend he had been looking for. He wanted his own friend, and he wanted one now. 

So that night, not even a day since that star fell, Jack stepped out of the great lake for the first time. It only took him several decades, but now, he could say he had stepped on land. At first, it was odd as Jack was used to being surrounded by water, at least up to his ankles. There was not a speck of dirt or water on him. He never let himself be in a state of dishevel, his robes proper and clean. His uncle taught him how to do that, to use his magic to keep things in a constant state. 

He wasn't anything like a newborn horse like he'd seen before, so Jack made his way to the hole in the mountain he saw yesterday. It was a very new experience to be under the things he'd only seen from afar for years, under the thick branches of the trees that grew the color of the rainbow and more. He was nowhere tall enough to reach up and pick a persimmon that caught his eye, but perhaps he'll climb the tree later. From the smell of it alone, he could tell that it was sweet. 

But let's not get distracted yet, Jack reminded himself, he was seeking the god first. Keeping his face forward, he continued to walk, and he thought about what the god would look like. Martha told him that he was currently the youngest being in all the valley, and that was why the others treated him so nicely. "And your father and uncle didn't just leave you here alone," she added. "Some of the palace servants came to serve you in secret, you have your own court here, Jack." The prince had yet to figure out who they were exactly, they were very good at pretending to be just citizens of the valley. 

When he had reached the field of dandelions, Jack paused, one foot just above the first ball of white fluff. He paused because he wasn't so sure now, so close yet so far from his goal. What was the god even like? Were they just a child like he was, or were they already fully grown like that, coming into existence spontaneously? Would they even like him? Would he like them? 

Then a wind blew through the dandelions, blowing thousands upon thousands of spores into the air. It was like watching snow fall but backwards, lifting up into the air and spreading out into the valley to take root somewhere new and exciting. In the dark, Jack caught a few of them drifting into the hole in the mountain, floating as little lights lit inside them like fireflies. They were being beckoned in, and so was Jack, his curiosity outweighing his hesitance. 

Quickly, he followed them into the darkness of the cave, his eyes adapting to the lack in light. It was a nice hole, he had to think, not moist or damp and grass grew. He saw some small flowers and wanted to pick them, but if he did, he might lose track of the spores that were leading the way. 

He didn't know how long he was following them, but where he followed them took him by surprise. At the end of the path, there was a single room with walls made of onyx, embedded with tiny gems of every color. They shone wonderful from the moonlight that came through the large ceiling, and it covered the entire figure of a little boy with spiky black hair and golden highlights, dressed in dark blue robes accented with red. He was asleep on a bedding of moss, and small flowers grew around him, providing him company and watchers. He did not stir when Jack entered, or when the white spore landed on the moss and took root, growing into daisies. 

There was a man too, or at least the figure of a man. Jack could barely see his outline, it was as if his entire being was made out of the light shining in, and he was crouched over the sleeping boy. He too had spiky hair, and he wore a soft smile, waving at Jack to come closer. 

The prince didn't obey immediately, though he didn't sense any danger. If anything, he felt safe, the atmosphere of the room made to put one at ease. Then the man made of moonlight could see Jack's expression, and so he patted the moss bedding, showing the space that was left over. It looked really nice, and comfortable, and for reasons he could not understand, Jack was feeling sleepy. 

So he made his way over to the moss bedding and crawled onto it, his head laying on tender softness. He heard the flowers whispering him a song he could not distinguish. Two things happened next: the man made of moonlight brushed his hand against Jack's cheek, and the sleeping boy was drawn to his heat, snuggling up to Jack like some sort of toy. Jack, in return, embraced back, wrapping his arms around him carefully. 

It felt like one of the most natural things in the world, to be right there with the sleeping god and to lay with him. A sense of duty was instilled in him, and he closed his eyes. 

Then he opened them, _blink, blink, blink_. Night became day became night became day. He saw a figure of a woman, her shape hard to see, and she was smiling over them lovingly. A woman made of sunlight, she and the moon were watching over Jack and the sleeping god. 

The next time Jack blinked, it was dark out. The moon was new, and he saw a face that had lines, solid and made out of flesh. His eyes were blue, pretty, pretty blue like sapphires, and he was looking at Jack with awe, his fingers poking and prodding at coral antlers.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jack asked, grabbing the other boy by the wrist. "Don't you know it's rude to touch people in their sleep?" 

"Sorry," the other boy replied, but he didn't stop, reaching out like a baby for anything to grab. Jack sighed and let him, finding no particular reason to say no. He wasn't getting yanked or anything. "I'm Yūsei. I'm the new god of this valley, or so I was told." 

"Yeah, I know. I heard. I'm Jack."

"Cool. I think we're brothers now."

That confused Jack. "What?"

"My mom and dad told me about you. They said you stayed with me the entire time. They like you."

"I didn't exactly agree to anything." Jack frowned. Gods were weird. 

Yūsei frowned too, pulling away from Jack's antlers. "So you don't want to be my brother?" he asked, the spikes of his hair almost dropping, and so did the flowers in sympathy. "I'm sorry."

The prince thinned his lips. He couldn't say no, he couldn't say no. He came here for a friend, but he supposed leaving with a brother was something extra. "Fine, we're brothers," Jack said, pulling close Yūsei for a hug. "I'll take care of you, and you'll take care of me. Sounds like an agreement?" 

The little god perked up, and he smiled and laughed, emitting a light from his form like a star. He was beautiful like this.

The next morning, Jack left the cave with his new brother in hand. He didn't notice that he too had a little glow to him as well, or that he had been missing for nearly a month. 

"Lord Jack!" Mina the mermaid called out, bursting into tears, and she pulled Jack for a tight hug. "I've been so worried about you!" 

"Where have you been, young man?" Martha scolded, arms crossed. "Mina and I searched up and down this lake for you!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Jack said with a growl as he pushed himself away from Mina and took Yūsei by the hand again. 

"And who might this be?" Martha asked, looking at the younger boy. A small crowd had gathered, many of the women happy to see Jack again. 

"Hello, I'm Yūsei," the little god answered, using his free hand to wave. "I'm the new god of this valley. It's nice to meet you."

The women gasped, and suddenly, they split into all directions, calling out, "Our new god has appeared! The heavens have bestowed us such a blessing!"

Soon, an even bigger crowd gathered by the great lake, all the birds, the animals, the spirits, the demons, the earthly beings, everyone who lived in the valley, and they cheered, their voices reaching even the humans who lived far below. Music began to play. For three days and three nights, the valley was in celebration, having a banquet with endless food and wine. All came to meet and greet their new god, paying him their respects and unquestionable loyalty. 

All the while, Yūsei and Jack stayed together. 

Every day after that was a lot more fun for Jack, who now had someone to call his own and who he could play with. At some point, Rex and Roman returned for another visit, and they were in for a surprise to see the young dragon toting a baby god in his arms. 

"Dad, Uncle," Jack said, holding Yūsei up, "this is Yūsei. We're brothers now."

The two elder dragons huffed in amusement, and Rex patted Yūsei on the head. "I see, I see," he said, "it's nice to meet you, Yūsei. There's no need to worry anymore, I suppose. Jack, how would you like to come back to the Dragon Palace with me?"

"You said it isn't safe for me to go there. What changed?" 

"Well, as much as Ultimaya Tzolkin may dislike you, he wouldn't touch you now that you're this one's adoptive brother. He wouldn't risk to incur the wrath of the heavens." 

"Oh, so the king's afraid of the gods. But I'm not interested though. I like it here."

Yūsei wiggled in Jack's hold. "Put me down," he said, and the prince obeyed. The little god yawned, tugging on Jack's sleeve. "I'm sleepy."

Jack frowned. "Again?" he asked incredulously. "How long will it be this time?"

"I don't know. A week? Two? Will you be coming this time?" 

"I don't think so. Last, we lost a month, and I missed Carly's birthday."

"Mkay. Take me to bed?" 

"You're such a baby." As he spoke, Jack picked Yūsei back up again, cradling the little god against his chest, and he looked at his father and uncle. "I'll be back, Dad, Uncle," he said before he walked away, Yūsei resting a cheek on his shoulder. 

Rex and Roman watched with curiosity. "He's grown up," the latter said with a smile, patting his brother on the shoulder. He chuckled. "Now to announce an upheaval back at the palace. Great-grandfather will not be pleased, not at all." 

Days turned into weeks into months, and nothing was amiss. Not once had the valley seen another winter day since the day Yūsei landed, Neo Domino in a constant state of spring. Down below, where the mortals resided, the harvest was plentiful and fulfilling every autumn, and the people lived prosperously. They prayed and worshipped the god that graced their land; though they did not know his face, or his name, his presence was felt in every part of the land, water, and air. There was no doubt that Neo Domino was graced by fortune.

All the while, Yūsei and Jack spent most of their time exploring and playing. One was rarely seen without the other, and it was usually Jack, though he didn't leave the lake much when Yūsei was asleep again. Together, they learned every nook and cranny of the valley and found some interesting treasures like a whole tsuchinoko family and flowers that bloomed only in the moonlight. However, there was one thing they found that was beyond all compared. 

It happened when the two were out walking through a forest of the pillar mountains, finding their way through the low mist and spray of the many waterfalls found there. They came back to play with the blue oni tribe that settled there, but they were met with an angel of death. 

No, actually, it was a tengu, a protector of the skies with wings as black as midnight, and this one was at death's doors, leaned up against a limestone rock.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jack asked, keeping Yūsei away. He could see the blood seeping out of the tengu's stomach, and it didn't look as if it would stop. He was hugging something under his priestly robes.

The tengu lifted up his head, showing a strained but friendly smile. "I am not," he admitted, "but I'm glad you two found me. My name is Robert, and I must ask you a favor."

"I can heal you," Yūsei offered, but the tengu shook his head.

"It'd be a waste. But this, this isn't." Robert revealed what he was hiding under his robes: an egg with an onyx shell with orange specks, shining like a large black opal. It was as big as a baby, pulsating with life, and it was getting cold, Jack could feel it.

"I need you to take care of this one for me," Robert continued, holding out the egg. "and keep it safe. Teach it what it's like to be loved and cared for, and that it matters simply by existing." 

"What happened to you?" Jack asked, still hesitant. "Why are you hurt so badly? Why is that egg so important?" 

Robert chuckled, sounding rather calm for a dying man. "I'm from an island due south, and the clans have been fighting over this one for years. They've been waiting for it to hatch, but it can sense the conflict and is too afraid to come out. That's why I took it and tried to run away. They caught me, cut me right across my belly, but I managed to escape. To come here to Neo Domino. I heard it was safe here, protected by a powerful god. Are you not that god, little one?" 

Yūsei nodded, and he stepped, standing straight with his chin up. "I am," he said, and without missing a beat, he accepted the egg from Robert with both hands and cradled it in his arms. "I'll take care of it. When will it hatch?" 

The tengu smiled, thankful. "When it's good and ready. It can hear everything, you know. It has good ears, it'll catch your lies like flies on a web. You'll take care of it too, dragon boy?" 

Jack grimaced. "If that's what Yūsei wants," he said, "then I will. Yūsei, hand it to me actually, you're not producing enough heat to warm it up."

"Oh, okay," Yūsei said, passing the egg off to Jack who took it and brought it to his chest. 

Inhaling deeply, Jack gently stoked the fire in his heart, and then, he exhaled slowly. His breath wrapped around the egg like a shawl entirely before it sank into the shell, giving it an ember glow. There, it should stay warm for a little without any problem. Yūsei watched in awe. 

Robert laughed quietly, his head lulled forward. "You're good kids," he said quietly. "Sorry I have to leave so soon."

They say that a tengu in their last hour turns into a blackbird, so that they could die a mortal death. It was a reminder that even eternity was fleeting, and Yūsei knew this, taking the dead tengu's body in one hand and then the golden staff that appeared out suddenly against the limestone in the other. 

Jack followed in the death parade with the egg as Yūsei took Robert to the gingko forest, and at the largest tree, the roots pulled the earth apart to make a grave. Yūsei began to chant, his words foreign and comforting, as he placed the blackbird in the dirt, and the roots came back together, securing the burial place. He stabbed the golden staff right above it, completing his prayers, and for a moment, the forest was silent. 

For weeks after that, the two brothers could be seen carrying around the egg entrusted to them. They were diligent in keeping it with them and talking to it. 

"You can hear," Yūsei said, poking the dark shell, "but can you see? If you can't, you should come out already. It's pretty here." 

"I'm not sure if it can actually hear at this point," Jack said, the egg in his lap. They were sitting in the field of dandelions. "Or if it can even hatch itself," he added, pressing ear against it. "You think it got damaged on the way here?" He could feel its heartbeat, but that didn't tell him much of anything.

"I don't think so, Jack. It started to attune with the valley, it's adapted quite well actually. That's good because if it gets hurt, I can heal it right."

"That is good. I can't wait to see it when it hatches. You think Robert was its father?"

"I don't know. I don't know much about tengu, only that they have black wings and can control thunder."

"Oh. That's nice. Maybe this one can shoot thunder out of their eyes."

"Woah." 

"If only it'd hatch already, we could find out." 

"Maybe it needs to get more comfortable. I know, if we don't want to wait, we can just go to sleep."

Jack wrinkled his nose. "If you're sleepy, just say so."

"A little, but maybe the egg just doesn't realize it's our family yet. We should introduce it to Mom and Dad."

"We haven't done that yet? That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'll go tell Martha we'll be gone for a while then."

That night, the two went back to the cave and, as always, laid together on the mossy bed, but this time, they placed the egg between them, Yūsei hugging it to his chest and Jack pulling them close to him. They fit, and nothing was a-missed. The moment their head hit the moss, they let sleep take them without a fight, their eyes closing almost simultaneously.

And while they slept, they were being watched over by the sun and the moon who came in through the ceiling above them. Dad told stories, and Mom hummed songs. It was nice, which was probably why Yūsei liked to sleep so much. Jack liked it too, but he didn't like missing out on so many days at a time. Unlike Yūsei, he couldn't count the days that passed; he just knew Yūsei didn't wake him up because he wanted Jack to stay. Spoiled. 

When Jack woke up, he woke first for the first time. Yūsei had the power to break the spell, the atmosphere of the cave, but this time, Jack felt something different, like that night all those years ago. He peeked open his eyes, and he no longer found an onyx egg with specks of orange; instead, he saw black wings and a head full of orange. She was sitting up, and she turned her head to the prince, her eyes gray like rain clouds. 

"You're Jack," she told Jack, catching his stare, and she turned to Yūsei who was stirring just a little. "And you're Yūsei. I'm Crow. Robert was my friend."

The tengu tried to smile, but it fell, flat like her hair falling over her face. Jack sat up then and wrapped his arms around her. "I know," he said, sleep persistent in his voice. "Yūsei and I are your friends too. We're family."

"Family?" Crow repeated, and then she actually managed to smile this time, laughing to herself. "I like that." She leaned her head towards Jack, nuzzling him under his chin. "Family."

Yūsei finally sat up. "Hi, Crow," he greeted for the first time. He spoke with a yawn, his blue eyes looking happy and content. 

"Hi," Crow replied back, and she reached out her hands. Yūsei took them without question, their palms meeting and their fingers entwining.

Jack looked around, seeing that it was almost sunset. Nearby, he spotted a small pile of clothes and geta sandals. They were made with earth colors, small and fitted. Those must be for the naked child who just hatched out of her egg. 

"Thank you, Mom," Jack said quietly. He blinked. "You woke too early," he accused, pulling the other two with him as he laid back down. "Yūsei's still sleepy."

"I am?" Yūsei asked, following easily. His breathing evened out almost immediately. 

"But I'm not," Crow said, but then she yawned. "What is this?" 

"A god's power. It's best not to fight it, you'll learn." 

Jack carefully put as much of his sleeve over Crow as possible, not wanting her to get cold. Not that it ever got cold here. He wanted her to be comfortable. "Go to sleep," he told his new little sister, glad to know how much her wings could pull against her body. It was warm against his chest "You're a baby, so you need all the rest you can get."

"Not a baby," Crow argued, but she didn't pull away, taking in a deep breath. She fell asleep then, and Yūsei was too, his face pressed against her shoulder. 

"Babies," Jack said with a huff before he closed his eyes too. 

Some time later, after a few more nights and days, the three of them left the cave, Crow dressed and laughing. Though she was small, she took to flying naturally and was trying to look at everything, picking at everything she could put her hand on. Sometimes, she wasn't even looking where she was going and hit a few things.

"You have to look where you're flying," Yūsei chided, pulling Crow by the hand. He wasn't going to let go for a while. 

"Rocks are hard," Crow commented, rubbing her forehead. 

"You deserve it," Jack said, holding Crow by the other hand. "Martha is going to think we did this."

"Who's Martha?" 

"She's like our mom," Yūsei answered. "She takes care of us and teaches us a lot of things. She's very nice, and she'd be happy to meet you."

"Really? I wanna met her too then." 

They brought Crow to the great lake, where the women of the water welcomed both Jack and Yūsei back. They, of course, noticed the little tengu who had replaced the egg, namely Martha.

"Jack's picked up another sibling I see," the earth spirit said with a laugh. "What's your name?" 

"I'm Crow!" Crow answered, raising her hands in the air. She pulled Yūsei's and Jack's too, still holding onto them. 

"You're adorable. Come here, Crow."

The tengu flew into Martha's arms without hesitation, clinging onto the woman. "You smell nice," Crow said. "I get why Jack and Yūsei like you." 

Martha chuckled at the compliment. "Have any of you eaten?" she asked, holding Crow in her arms. "You must be hungry after sleeping for so long." The other women agreed on that sentiment, and soon, a small feast was gathered. Crow loved every bit of it, devouring everything placed before her gleefully. 

Jack clicked his tongue against his cheek at some point, when he saw how uncouth his sister's manners were. "Slowly down," he said with a frown, "the way you eat is making me lose my appetite."

"Jack, don't be mean," Yūsei said, peeling a mandarin. "It's her first meal ever. Here, Crow." The little god held up a slice. "Try this."

Crow paused, looking over. She had some fish in her mouth, which she continued to chew before swallowing with an audible gulp. Then she opened her mouth. "Ahh," she said, and Yūsei fed her the piece. It was a second before her face scrunched up a bit as she ate it. "This tastes funny. But I like it!"

Yūsei smiled, the rest of the mandarin resting on his palm. "Have some more then." 

"Thanks! Love you lots!" 

That made the women laugh, cooing about just how cute this all was, and Yūsei was glowing. Jack rolled his eyes, picking up a strawberry. His sister had yet to try other fruits after all.

  


  


  


Years passed— _centuries_ —and not once had Jack left the valley, nor was he ever bored again, and to this day, he remembered his childhood fondly. He was remembering it now, sitting with his legs bent in the field of dandelions. It was a peaceful afternoon, spring breezes passing through warmly, and Yūsei was taking a nap on his lap, his head resting there with a hand on Jack's knee. He was sleeping peacefully, lulled by the hand that Jack brushed through his hair. And behind Jack, leaning against his back, was Crow who hummed softly as he made flower crowns for everyone. He was wearing proper priest attire now, a headband keeping his hair out of his face. 

They were waiting for the Akiza and the twins; they'd all been waiting for when Yūsei emerged from his cave again. Fortunately, he didn't sleep for too long, having gone only for two weeks this time. (Last time, it was nearly a year!)

The humming stopped. "Whatcha thinking about?" Crow asked. "You relaxed all of the sudden." He quickly turned around and placed the crown he'd just completed on top of Jack's head, laughing in pride. He caught Jack in an embrace, his breast to his brother's back, and pressed a kiss on the corner of his mouth from behind. "Maybe the women bathing?" he teased. "That air nymph Stephanie really likes you."

Jack let out a snort. "That's not what I'm thinking about," he replied, his hand caressing Yūsei's cheek. "I was recalling our childhood. About how I met you and Yūsei."

"Oh, that's boring." Crow snickered, and he was smiling, wrapping a large wing around them and laying the other over Yūsei like a blanket. "I'm glad we met too. Back when I was still in that egg, I just remembered being alone and cold and scary. That was until you and Yūsei took me in. Became my friends. My brothers. I remember that day clearly because everything became warm and exciting and I stopped feeling so lonely. I've never regretted hatching, even when you can get pretty annoying." 

The prince huffed, placing his other hand over one of Crow's, and he squeezed it. "That's a rude way to say you love me," he complained. "You need to be more polite, you are speaking to royalty, after all." 

Crow chuckled. "And you're talking to Crow-sama, so shut up. I'll rephrase it though, but that's only being I like saying it."

"There's no do-overs."

"Not a do-over, Jack. I'm just saying it again. I love you, and I love Yūsei too. I've always loved you. Do you believe me?"

"Yes," was Jack's immediate reply. Without a doubt, he believed that. He felt a smile grow on Yūsei's face, the young god no longer sleeping, and he was listening, an exhale coming out as a sigh of contentment. 

"Yūsei! Jack! Crow!" 

The three brothers looked over to the voice calling them. 

Coming down the hill where ginseng and peaches grew abundant were their friends, the cultivator with a small stack of books under her arm and the twins waving. Yūsei finally sat up, and Crow was waving back. 

And Jack watched quietly, basking under the warmth of his celestial mother, surrounded by the one he loved. It'd been a long time since he'd felt alone too.

**Author's Note:**

> If you confused a bit by Crow's chang in pronouns, the context is that in my headcanon of 5D's Crow, he's afab masculine leaning genderfluid. He didn't start using he/him and masculine nouns unil he was a bit older. 
> 
> In this AU, Jack's about fifty years older than Yūsei who's about fifty years older than Crow. 
> 
> The mystery about Robert's death might be explained if I ever do more with this AU. I have ideas! But I already have so many WIPs. QAQ
> 
> Follow me on my YGO Tumblr!: [@the-kings-of-games](https://the-kings-of-games.tumblr.com)


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